“Me, too,” she said. “Kade and I are going to try to convince him to come back to Texas with us. Maybe a change of scenery will do him good.”
His head snapped up. “That’s a great idea. I hope you’re able to convince him.”
“If anyone can, Kade can.”
He nodded. His brother-in-law had been in a similar situation and was no stranger to pain and guilt, or therapy, having lost a soldier under his command while deployed two years ago.
She smiled. “I’d better let you go so you can call Dad. Tell him I said hi.”
“Will do.”
“And Phoebe, too, you know…the next time you see her and all.”
Thanks to her new temporary digs, that wasn’t happening anytime soon.
As disappointment reared its unwanted head, he tamped it down and told himself he was happy with his life.
His body disagreed.
Phoebe drove to the Wyne resort that afternoon and hoped she didn’t run into Tyler or his sexy dad. She tried, she really did try to avoid them. Hell, she’d managed to sidestep them the whole holiday weekend, even though Lea had been in town.
On Saturday, she’d gone to her friend’s cabin for a cookout and left before Ethan and Tyler were due to arrive, repeating the process on Sunday at the resort where she met Jill and Mason for another cookout. It had been tricky, but she’d slipped around the side of the building and headed for her car when the father and son had shown up.
And as for yesterday, Memorial Day, Phoebe had avoided the resort all together, but she did stand next to Lea and Jill in the crowd lining the sidewalks in town for the morning parade.
All the time in the world would not have prepared her for seeing Ethan in his National Guard uniform. Big, powerful, and capable, he stole her breath. The mere sight of him in his ACU’s, as Jill called the Army Combat Uniform, had stopped her heart.
“Oh…my,” she’d stammered, stuck in a lust filled state.
“I know,” Jill said, shoving a lemonade in her hand. “The first time you see your guy in uniform wobbles your knees, doesn’t it?”
He’s not my guy, Phoebe had wanted to protest, but her knees were as shaky as her breath. He looked proud and fierce marching next to his brothers, although she was saddened to note Keiffer wasn’t among them.
Lea had sighed, gaze fastened on her fiancé. “It never gets old. Trust me. Ben doesn’t normally march, but he’s filling in last minute for Keiffer. He looks delicious. Makes me want to have up-against-the-wall sex.”
“With chocolate,” Jill whispered, her gaze never leaving Mason’s marching form.
And together, the three of them stood silently lusting after the gorgeous Wyne brothers.
The memory of Ethan in uniform with his broad shoulders and chiseled features, combined with her friends’ naughty conversation fueled Phoebe’s hot dreams long into the night.
For the first time in her life, she woke up that morning and had to stand under a cold shower. And if she stayed near Ethan too long, she feared it would not be her last.
Her phone started to ring, and the smart technology in the car immediately picked it up. Phoebe hit the button on the steering wheel to answer her mother’s weekly check in.
“Hi, hun. Hope I’m not bothering you at rehearsal.”
“No. I’m done for the day. They’re meeting again tonight, but I’m not in the scene they’re rehearsing so I get a rare night off.”
She planned to take a long bath, eat junk food, and watch a Doctor Who marathon on TV.
“That’s great. How are things going? You settled in at Jill’s cottage?”
“Yes. It’s a really cute craftsman. You’d like it,” she said, turning off the road onto the long drive that led up to the resort.
“Oh.” Her mother’s excited voice echoed through the car. “Great woodwork, I bet.”
She nodded. “Yep.” Her mother always did have a thing for carved wood. “When are you coming down for a visit?” Phoebe could hardly wait for her mother to see the resort, too. She’d fall in love with the wood at the cottage, and the Wynes.
“Probably not until Lea’s wedding, I’m afraid,” she replied. “There’s still a lot to do with the fundraiser at the end of June for that off Broadway theater.”
Damn. She’d forgotten. Shame on her.
“Okay, just let me know if there’s anything I can do.”
“Will do, hun. And, listen, Henry told me to tell you there was a stranger with a tattoo on his chest arrested outside Rachel Hawthorne’s dressing room last night.”
Her heart lodged in her throat. “Did he hurt her?”
Rachel wasn’t exactly a friend. The woman was one of the cutthroat actresses, but Phoebe wouldn’t wish a crazed fan on her.
“No. Henry said the guy wanted Rachel to sign his chest. He had a tattoo shaped like a real heart with F + R in the middle. I bet he’s the creep you told me about. Probably altered the P into an R. I’m glad you’re not in the city.” Her mother’s voiced sounded a little strained. “Rachel filed for a restraining order.”
“That’s good. Maybe he’ll find a new hobby.” She laughed in an attempt to lighten the mood as she parked in front of the resort.
“Are you in a car? It sounds hollow.”
“Yes,” she replied. “I’m on my way to see Jill. I got a frantic text asking me to taste test some chocolate she needs for a job tonight.”
“Ah, sucks to be you.” Her mother chuckled before hanging up with a promise to check in again next week.
Phoebe shut off the car, tossed her keys and phone in her crossbody purse, and strode into the building. She knew time was of the essence for Jill, and well, she was addicted to the woman’s chocolate. And since her vocal chords had the night off, she was ready to get drunk on the stuff.
“Phoebe! Thank God.” Jill rushed around the counter to grab her arm and tug her in the kitchen in the back of the store. “I was supposed to pour this into the molds ten minutes ago, but…I don’t know…something’s off. You’re the only one I know who’s extra in-tuned with their palate. My customer wants dark with a hint of mint, but it tastes too sweet to me. Here, try it. Tell me what you think.”
She took the small bowl and sampled a spoonful of melted chocolate, and refrained from moaning since Jill wasn’t as pleased with the taste as Phoebe. But, damn, the rich, decadent, cocoa slid down her tongue and hugged her tummy. She sampled another spoonful. Then one more for good measure. “I think it’s perfect, but maybe if you add a pinch of cayenne. Is that what you told me you use to burn off sweetness?”
“Oh my God, Phoebe. You’re a genius!”
“Does that mean I get to finish this bowl?” She smiled, hugging the chocolate to her chest.
Jill laughed. “Yes, absolutely.”
Her friend reached for the pepper on a shelf, added some into the big vat of chocolate on table, hand mixed it a few turns before placing the bowl under the beater for a minute. “Sorry I made you drive all the way out here, Phoebe.” Using a clean spoon to scoop out a sample, Jill tasted the new mixture. A big smile crossed her face. “That’s it. That’s what it needed. It’s Mason’s fault. He…ah…interrupted me while I was mixing the ingredients, and the dang man muddles my brain. I completely forgot to add the cayenne.”
“No worries.” She smiled, holding up her empty bowl, completely understanding the muddled brain thing. Seemed to be a trait of the Wyne men. She kept that to herself, too. “I got free chocolate. You won’t hear any complaints out of me.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.” Jill nodded, glancing at the clock on the wall. “I’ve got just enough time to get these done.”
“Do you need any help?” She hoped not, since the clock told her she had just enough time to get the hell out of dodge before Tyler came home from school.
Her friend shook her head. “No. I’m good, but you don’t have to rush off. Ethan took the late hike today for Keiffer.”
“Oh, wow. Was he not up to it again?”
/>
The pattern was getting more and more frequent.
Jill glanced up with a measure of sadness pulling her features down. “Something like that.”
Anger spiked through Phoebe. Ethan couldn’t keep filling in for his brother, his life was busy enough. But she knew the youngest brother was dealing with heavy issues, so she remained quiet. Besides, it was none of her business. She just hated what it was doing to Ethan.
Again, none of her business.
She set her empty bowl and spoon down in the sink, said goodbye to her friend, then left the shop.
Her heart was heavy as she exited the building, but she needed to focus on her own life. Which sounded great in theory. Too bad she sucked at following through. This time would be different, though. This time, she’d get in her car and drive away. Leave the Wynes and their troubles behind.
She reached her car, opened the door, and was about to get inside when she noticed a familiar young boy with dark hair disappearing up a wooded trail.
Alone.
Phoebe glanced around, waiting to see an adult follow.
Nothing.
Dear God, where’s Tyler going?
He wouldn’t hike without his dad. Would he?
Maybe his grandfather was close by. She continued to stand there, gripping her car door, willing someone, anyone to follow the boy up into the woods.
Still no one.
She glanced at her clothes. Tan capris, slip-on canvas shoes, and a sleeveless blouse.
Perfect for strolling through town, not the woods. But, she couldn’t follow. She’d promised Ethan she’d stay away from his son. Besides, she never hiked. Didn’t know the first thing. And her agent would freak out if she got hurt.
Her mind immediately raced through people she should call. Ethan, he was unavailable on a late hike. Mason, also unavailable on a fishing thing. Jill, unavailable with work. Ben…at work, a good fifteen minutes away.
Dammit.
Promise or no promise, she was going in. Ethan could kill her later, if she didn’t manage that on her own.
Chapter Eight
Phoebe slammed her door and raced across the parking lot, phone in hand. She might be stupid for going into the woods alone, but she wasn’t too stupid to call for help.
No reason to worry Ethan, since he was too far to do anything, so she called Ben.
“Which trail?” he asked without saying hello.
She stumbled, taken aback by the fact he seemed to know what was going on before being told. “Um…” She reached the sign at the bottom of the path where she’d seen Tyler disappear. “The South Ridge Trail,” she replied and alarm increased tenfold when she heard Ben mutter a curse. “What’s wrong with this trail?”
“It’s one of the steeper ones.”
Funny, she always associated the word south with downhill.
“Doesn’t seem so bad so far.”
“What do you mean? Dammit, Phoebe. Stay put. You can get hurt. I already alerted patrol at the resort. They’ll be at your location in three minutes, and I’m already on my way. I’ll be there in five.”
That meant he would’ve left the armory before she’d called?
“Do you hear me, Phoebe? You need a seasoned hiker to go up this trail.”
“Well, seeing as Tyler doesn’t have one, and I’m closer than anyone else, I’ll continue if you don’t mind.”
She braced herself for Ben’s tirade but it never came…because her phone lost signal.
Super.
It was useless now. She shoved it in her purse and picked up her pace. “Tyler,” she called. She thought for sure she would’ve seen him by now. The urge to sing to keep her nervousness of being surrounded by wildlife at bay was strong, but would hinder her from hearing the little boy. So, she sucked it up and continued her search.
As the brush grew thicker and trail grew steeper, she prayed the child stuck to the path and didn’t stray. If he had, there was a good chance she’d passed him.
Phoebe continued to call his name, then stopped periodically to listen, and silently cursed her stupidity for waiting to follow, even though it hadn’t been more than four minutes. Sweating, muscles shaking, she laughed at the thought she was in the best shape of her life.
Maybe for dancing, but not hiking a damn mountain.
She stilled, her ears straining at what she thought was a whimper.
“Tyler? Where are you?”
“Phoebe? Is that you?” came the response. “Help! I’m down here. I fell down here, and I can’t reach to get up.”
Her heart leapt with relief, then dropped to her knees when she followed his voice to the edge of a cliff on the right and found him about seven feet below on a small ridge, which led to a thirty-foot drop off.
And he was bleeding.
Holy hell. She wanted to panic, but thought maybe it would be best if she waited until after she got him up off the ledge.
“I’m here. It’ll be all right. Are you hurt?”
He shook his head. “No. Just scraped my arm.”
It was a miracle he hadn’t broken anything or hit his head.
“Okay. Don’t move. You’re uncle’s already on his way, but I’m going to see if I can figure out how to get you back up here without a rope.”
“Uncle Ben?”
“Yes.”
“That’s cool.” He grinned. “Dad said sometimes Uncle Ben has prammunition and visions. He must’ve saw me fall.”
All thoughts of correcting his words disappeared when she caught a flash of movement below him to her right.
A mountain lion.
Shit. Who invited him? And why was he able to climb cliffs?
He was twenty-five feet below Tyler and moving steadily upward. Like her pulse.
She whipped out her phone. Still no signal. Dammit.
Phoebe glanced back at the trail. How far behind was patrol and Ben?
The low rumble of the cat confirmed the answer. Too far.
Help would come too late.
“Phoebe. Look at the cougar. Isn’t he beautiful? I was following him when I fell.”
Any bit of room she’d had left in her for air disappeared under the invisible vice squeezing her chest. Thank God the cat hadn’t noticed him sooner.
She had to get Tyler off that cliff. Now. Then hope to God the guys arrived before the cat made it to the top.
“But he looks mad.” His lower lip trembled. “I’m scared, Phoebe.”
With a prayer on her lips, she hit the ground and dropped to her belly. “All right, hun. Let’s see if you can grab my hand. Jump like I taught you.”
“Okay.” He nodded.
Stretching every one of her muscles, she reached down, straining to grab his hand, but it was no use, he missed her by a good foot.
“Okay. Plan B.” Her voice came out sounding a hell of a lot calmer than her insides felt, especially now that the cat was twenty feet below Tyler.
“What’s Plan B?”
Good question.
Although, she knew the answer.
“I’m coming down to boost you up.”
Pulling out Ethan’s knife, which, thank God was still in her purse, she cut the leather straps from the purse, blew out a breath and quieted her pulse.
I can do this.
She moved to a tree next to her at the edge, grasped both ends of the strap in one hand, the looped end in the other, wrapped the strap around the tree then fished the ends through the looped end and tugged tight.
With one last glance at the empty trail, she held onto the leather and lowered herself as far as the straps would allow, then glanced down and let go, falling the last foot. When her feet found purchase on the ledge, she turned to Tyler who rushed close and hugged her tight.
“Thank you for coming for me! Thank you! Thank you!”
“You’re welcome, hun.” She knelt down and hugged him proper, gently feeling him for broken bones. None. Thank God. “Let’s get off this ledge before the cat joins us.”
He released her and nodded. “How?”
“I’m going to lift you up on my shoulders, then I want you to grab that strap up there and climb the rest of the way.”
His gaze bounced from the strap hanging six feet up then to her, disbelief and fear darkening his eyes. “I don’t think I can.”
“Sure you can. You didn’t think you could jump high a week ago, but you can now. Trust me, this is even easier,” she said, keeping an eye on the cat nearly within jumping distance, his growls growing louder as he got closer. “Once you stand on my shoulders, you’ll already be able to peer over the top.”
“Okay.” His voice wobbled, sounding brave but unsure.
She pat her shoulders. “First, you need to sit on me.”
“Okay.”
Once he was sitting, she hugged his legs and stood close to the rock wall. “Now, try to reach for the straps.”
If she was five-seven and he three-and-a-half to four feet, he should have no issue reaching the top seven feet up, let alone her strap.
“Got them.”
Placing her hands under his feet, she pushed him up with all her might, ignoring the stinging in her flesh as she scraped the cliff. “Climb, Tyler! Climb.”
A second later, his weight was gone and relief rushed through her, nearly making her weak when she saw him peering down from the edge above.
He made it. He was up top.
The roar of the mountain lion reminded her she still needed to get off the cliff.
“Phoebe! He’s close. You gotta get up here.” Tyler’s panicked voice echoed down as she jumped to reach the straps and missed.
“Tyler? Where are you?” a familiar male voice called.
Ben. Thank God.
“Uncle Ben. I’m here. Hurry, Phoebe’s stuck on a ledge with a cougar.”
Because she could practically feel the cat’s breath, she didn’t wait for Ben. She jumped again. This time, she grasped the strap and began to climb, praying the thin leather didn’t break under the strain.
“Phoebe?” Concerned green eyes under an army cap peered over the edge, then grew round with alarm. “Keep climbing! O’Donnell, fire off a shot above the cliff into the trees. Now!”
Wyne and Song Page 10
